Calendar timepiece



Jan. 15, F. MEYER I CALENDAR TIMEPIECE Filed July 21, 1948 Patented Jan. 15, 1952 CALENDAR TIMEPIECE Friedrich Meyer, Grenchen, Switzerland, assignor to Felsa S. A., Grenchen, Switzerland Application July 21, 1948, Serial No. 39,977 In Switzerland February 18, 1948 Claims.

This invention relates to calendar clocks or watches. Timepieces of this kind in which the date-indicating wheel forms a solid disc are wellknown in the art. This solid disc extends all over the upper side of the movement of the timepiece, so that, for fixing the dial, special means have to be provided, differing essentially from the ordinary embodiments in usual clocks and watches other than the calendar type.

The object of my invention is to remedy these inconveniences. For this purpose, I provide a date-indicating wheel formed as an internally toothed ring.

Another object is to provide a so-called conditional internal locking device, e. g., one comprising a roll pressed by a spring against the internal gear of the date-indicating ring.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the following description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating, by way of example, one embodiment of my invention, and wherein Fig. 1 is a top view of the parts necessar for the comprehension of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a side View of these parts, partly in section.

The plate I of the Watch or clock carries on its one face the movement 2, while on the other face there is provided a distance plate 3 between the plate I and the dial ll. The date-indicating disc forms an internally toothed ring 5 the outer diameter of which corresponds approximately to the largest diameter of the watch. The cross section of the ring 5 tapers towards the outside, the date indicia 6 being arranged on the upper inclined surface. The date-indicating ring 5 driven by means of the pinion l and the day wheel 8, the latter turning once in 24 hours and carrying a stop 9 the path of which intersects the path of the internal toothing IU of the dateindicating ring 5, so that once every revolution of the day wheel 8 the date-indicating ring 5 is advanced by one tooth. This advance movement is adapted to correspond to the size of the date indicia 6. The dial 4 comprises a window II in which after each advance movement by one tooth, another date indicium appears. The date-indicating ring 5 can be locked by a locking device comprising a roll i2 pressed against the toothing III by means of a spring i3. Roll and spring are lodged in recesses of the distance plate 3 form together a locking device of the type called conditional internal locking means.

Arranging the date indicia on a ring instead of on a solid disc offers the considerable advantage of providing a free space within the ring so that no special means becomes necessary for fixing the dial in calendar clocks or watches. On the contrary, for fixing the dial usual fixing holes I may serve as they are used in an ordinary watch for inserting the feet of the dial. Moreover, arranging the date indicia on a ring running along the circumference of the dial allows relatively large and well legible indicia to be provided. The tapering of the ring towards the outside even allows the use of such date rings in the case of curved dials. The recess of the distance plate 3, in which the roll I2 is accommodated, ma be made easily and with great precision, so that also with regard to an accurate movement of the dateindicating ring my invention offers a real advantage. The roll [2 also allows the date-indicating ring to rotate in two directions, with equal resistance in both directions, which is especially advantageous for setting the timepiece.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details thereof, as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A calendar time piece, comprising in combination, a base disc; a dial disc located over said base disc and being of approximately the same diameter as saidbase disc, said dial disc being formed with an opening adjacent the periphery thereof; a spacer disc located between said base disc and dial disc for maintaining the latter at a desired distance from the former, said spacer disc being of a smaller diameter than said base and dial discs so as to provide an annular space about said spacer disc and between said base and dial discs, said annular space communicating with said opening in said dial disc and said spacer disc being formed with a cut-out in the peripheral portion thereof and opening onto the outer edge of said spacer disc; an annular gear located in said annular space and being mounted on said base disc for rotation about said spacer disc, said annular gear having indicia on one face thereof visible through said opening in said dial disc and said annular gear having internal teeth; a roller mounted in said cut-out of said spacer disc; and spring means located in said cut-out and bearing against said roller to urge the same into contact with the internal teeth of said annular gear so as to properly register the indicia on the same with said opening in said dial disc.

2. A calendar time piece, comprising in com bination, a base disc; a dial disc located over said base disc and being of approximately the same diameter as said base disc, said dial disc being formed with an opening adjacent the periphery thereof; a spacer disc located between said base disc and dial disc for maintaining the latter at a desired distance from the former, said spacer disc being of a smaller diameter than said base and dial discs so as to provide an annular space about said spacer disc and between said base and dial discs, said annular space communicating with said opening in said dial disc and said spacer disc being formed with a cut-out in the peripheral portion thereof and opening onto the outer edge of said spacer disc, said cut-out extending in a radial direction on said spacer disc adjacent the outer edge thereof; an annular gear located in said annular space and being mounted on said base disc for rotation about said spacer disc, said annular gear having indicia on one face thereof visible through said opening in said dial disc and said annular gear having internal teeth; a roller mounted in said cut-out of said spacer disc and engaging said cut-out so as to be guided for radial movement; and spring means located in said cut-out and bearing against said roller to urge the same into contact with the internal teeth of said annular gear so as to properly register the indicia on the same with said opening in said dial disc.

3. A calendar time piece, comprising in combination, a base disc; a dial disc located over said base disc and being of approximately the same diameter as said base disc, said dial disc being formed with an opening adjacent the periphery thereof; a spacer disc located between said base disc and dial disc for maintaining the latter at a desired distance from the former, said spacer disc being of a smaller diameter than said base and dial discs so as to provide an annular space about said spacer disc and between said base and dial discs, said annular space communieating with said opening in said dial disc and said spacer disc being formed with a cut-out in the peripheral portion thereof and opening onto the outer edge of said spacer disc, said cut-out having one portion thereof extending in a radial direction on said spacer disc adjacent the outer edge thereof and having another portion thereof located inwardly of said one portion and communicating with the same, said other portion being larger than said one portion and being substantially normal thereto; an annular gear located in said annular space and being mounted on said base disc for rotation about said spacer disc, said annular gear having indicia on one face thereof visible through said opening in said dial disc and said annular gear having in ternal teeth; a roller mounted in said cut-out of said spacer disc and engaging said one portion of said cut-out so as to be guided for radial movement; and a substantially U-shaped spring located in said other portion of said cut-out and bearing against said roller to urge the same into contact with the internal teeth of said annular gear so as to properly register the indicia on the same with said opening in said dial disc.

i. A calendar time piece, comprising in combination, a base disc; a dial disc located over said base disc and being of approximately the same diameter as said base disc, said dial disc being formed with an opening adjacent the periphery thereof; a spacer disc located between said base disc and dial disc for maintaining the latter at a desired distance from the former, said spacer disc being of a smaller diameter than said base and dial discs so as to provide an annular space about said spacer disc and between said base and dial discs, said annular space communicating with said opening in said dial disc and said spacer disc being formed with a cut-out in the peripheral portion thereof and opening onto the outer edge of said spacer disc, said cut-out having one portion thereof extending in a radial direction on said spacer disc adjacent the outer edge thereof and having another portion thereof located inwardly of said one portion and communicating with the same, said other portion being larger than said one portion and being substantially normal thereto; an annular gear located in said annular space and being mounted on said base disc for rotation about said spacer disc, said annular gear having indicia on one face thereof visible through said opening in said dial disc and said annular gear having internal teeth bearing against the outer edge of said spacer disc so that said annular gear is guided by said spacer disc; a roller mounted in said cut-out of said spacer disc and engaging said one portion of said cut-out so as to be guided for radial movement; and a substantially U-shaped spring located in said other portion of said cut-out and bearing against said roller to urge the same into contact with the internal teeth of said annular gear so as to properly register the indicia on the same with said opening in said dial disc.

5. A calendar time piece, comprising in combination, a base disc; a dial disc located over said base disc and being of approximately the same diameter as said base disc, said dial disc being formed with an opening adjacent the periphery thereof; a spacer disc located between said base disc and dial disc for maintaining the latter at a desired distance from the former, said spacer disc being of a smaller diameter than said base and dial discs so as to provide an annular space about said spacer disc and between said base and dial discs, said annular space communicating with said opening in said dial disc and said spacer disc being formed with a cut-out in the peripheral portion thereof and opening onto the outer edge of said spacer disc, said cut-out having one portion thereof extending in a radial direction on said spacer disc adjacent the outer edge thereof and having another portion thereof located inwardly of said one portion and communicating with the same, said other portion being larger than said one portion and being substantially normal thereto and said spacer disc being formed with an annular shoulder at the outer edge thereof; an annular gear located in said annular space and being mounted on said base disc for rotation about said spacer disc, said annular gear having indicia on one face thereof visible through said opening in said dial disc and said annular gear having internal teeth bearing against the outer edge of said spacer disc and being located beneath said annular shoulder thereof so that said annular gear is guided by said spacer disc; a roller mounted in said cut-out of said spacer disc and engaging said one portion of said cut-out so as to be guided for radial movement; and a substantially U-shaped spring located in said other portion of said cut-out and bearing against said roller to urge the same into contact with the internal teeth of said annular gear so as to properly register the indicia on the same with said opening in said dial disc.

FRIEDRICH MEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,213,462 Elms Sept. 3, 1940 2,399,906 Bentley May '7, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 153,545 Switzerland June 16, 1932 

